Real Questions for the Future of CNN

Why does America need CNN?

That’s the question. The answer determines who should lead it.

It’s a fairly simple equation, but it’s not the one playing out in the news coverage of the situation. Truth is, those inside the New York news bubble need to sit back and take a deep … Oh, wait. That scenario would incorporate real news into the matter. Perhaps it’s better to stay with the reality show version, which people who call themselves journalists are peddling throughout the public conversation.

Before we go any further, let’s clear this up. Was Chris Licht the right person to lead the network? No. His background of great success as the producer of a satire show doesn’t make for a natural progression to being the boss of a news network. To get the gig, he just happened to be in the right place at the right time. That’s something that has occurred throughout the history of time. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn’t. Even the most experienced human resource executives will tell you hiring people is a crap shoot. If this had worked, it would have proven a most inspiring story, one that underscores the unlimited potential that lives deep inside each of us. Sometimes, all we need is that one lucky break.

Yeah ….. no.

This is about rebuilding news to serve America. At least, it should be. Maybe that storyline will come into play tomorrow. For now, we find the media has stuck us between the phases of denial and acceptance, where revisionist history breeds. If I am to believe what the news media is telling me, then Licht, in his 13-month tenure, ruined CNN.

For those out there longing to turn back the calendar to 14 months ago, please allow me to remind you of what you’d find there: A lousy version of CNN.

CNN, at its inception, traveled the globe to tell us stories of unrest. We saw the faces and heard the sounds of man’s inhumanity toward his fellow man. CNN, 14 months ago, brought us a handful of people sitting inside a studio, mostly opining about things other news outlets were actually reporting.

Returning CNN to the pre-Licht days isn’t the answer. The network needs a new vision, one that will enable it to stand out in a media landscape littered with junk content that is only succeeding in bringing a country down. The real problem is, Americans can’t tell the difference between news and junk — and it’s not their fault, because the line is as hazy as New York air, right now.

Anyone with internet access has more “news” at their fingertips than they can possibly incorporate into their lives. The landscape is entirely different than when CNN launched. What’s the value proposition for the network in today’s society? Why does America need CNN?

The answers aren’t easy, but neither is the news business.